2024 Volume 39 Issue 3 Pages 295-307
Social data science is an emerging interdisciplinary research field emerged from the fusion of social sciences and data science. This paper examines the academic and societal significance and development potential of social data science from the perspective of science and technology policy. First, we position bibliometrics and foresight as the origins of social data science and clarify their roles in understanding the relationship between science, technology, and society. Next, we introduce the concept of responsible research and innovation (RRI) and discuss the role that social data science should play in realizing RRI. Furthermore, we illustrate the development potential of social data science and its contribution to solving social issues while mentioning the ethical, legal, and technical challenges it faces. Through these discussions, we reveal that social data science is an important academic field that promotes collaboration between academia and society and contributes to evidence-based solutions to social issues.
